Happiest Days of Your Life Opens To Rousing Reception

The 2016 College Production of 'The Happiest Days of Your Life' took to the stage for the first time on Thursday for two big performances.

Students went into hair and make up at 10am in preparation for the opening matinee. Energy was high and the anticipation of performance week was evident.

Miss Jackie Collender with Year 10 student Chardonnay Mitchell (Miss Gossage)

Miss Edel Maher with Year 10 student Brianna Armstrong (Miss Whitchurch)

Holy Cross welcomed residents from Aegis Aged Care facilities The Pines and Hermitage along with staff and students from Swan Valley Anglican Community School for the opening show. The residents enjoyed a wonderful morning tea, prepared by our amazing Cafe Coordinator Mrs Lewis.

The Happiest Days Set

College Principal Ms Mandy Connor with residents from Aegis Aged Care

The performance standard was particularly high, with students breathing life into the hilarious characters of Hilary Hall and St Swithin's Schools. The feedback from the audience was very positive and both residents and students enjoyed the performance thoroughly.

Several hours later, Opening Night was upon us and after a superb dinner (again, thanks to Mrs Lewis), students were back in hair and make up and preparations began for the first evening performance. The audience on Thursday night received the show particularly well with some audience feedback including: "Absolutely hilarious" and "The best and funniest play Holy Cross has done". Students left on Thursday night with the adrenaline of a truly wonderful performance running through them.

Miss Gossage (Chardonnay Mitchell) strips for games behind the oblivious Billings (Calvin Thiel)  

Tassell (James Evans), Pond (Max Hughes) and Billings (Calvin Thiel) attempt to hatch a plan to keep the parents in the dark. 

Mrs Peck (Chloe Ryan) and Rev Peck (Josh Gethin) arrive at Hilary Hall to pay a visit to their daughter Julia. 

Mrs Sowter (Angela Gethin) and Mr Sowter (Immanuel Matias) are not impressed with the 'feminine influences' at Hilary Hall. 

Pond (Max Hughes), Miss Whitchurch (Brianna Armstrong), Miss Harper (Zophia Palusazk), Tassell (James Evans) and Miss Gossage (Chardonnay Mitchell) hope for good news from the Ministry. 

Friday evening saw a packed house for the third show and what an audience it was! Jokes flew thick and fast and the cast fed off the energy of the audience. College Vice Principal Peter Collins was quoted as saying "I have never heard an audience laugh so much" at a school production. The students were on a major high after the Friday show as were the staff.

Barbara Cahoun (Bethany Robinson) is all smiles for Miss Harper (Zophia Paluszak)

Hillary Hall and St Swithin's will now welcome the Meadowvale Academy for Backwards Boys and Forward Girls. 

Pond (Max Hughes) introduces Tassell (James Evans) to the unimpressed Miss Whitchurch (Brianna Armstrong)

Hopcroft Minor (Ben Sorensen) attempts to strike a deal with Rainbow (John Paul Botha)

Students are now gearing up for their final performance of Happiest Days, which will be presented to a full house on Saturday night. Special guests will include members of the College Senior Leadership team and adjudicators from the Drama Production category of the Catholic Performing Arts Festival. The students are set to go out with a bang and wrap up what has been an amazing eight month process which has included many laughs and resulted in some fantastic friendships. It will be a bittersweet night for our six Year 12 students who will see the curtain fall on their final Holy Cross College Production and their Secondary School Drama journey.

2016 Year 12's Kayla Collins (Make Up Manager), Casey Van Der Merwe (Artistic Manager), Rachel Joubert (Sound Manager), Jack Hammon (Stage Manager), Kayla Castrianni (Props Manager) and Max Hughes (Pond) with Mr Chris McRae (Production Coordinator and Drama Teacher)